An African-Australian beauty blogger is calling for beauty brands and retailers to usher in greater diversity on mainstream make-up shelves, according to a report published by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Esther Joseph, who vlogs under the moniker MsTopacJay, emailed Target, Priceline, Terry White Chemists and L’Oréal Australia to highlight the issues that women of color in Australia face when shopping for cosmetics in mainstream stores.
“How are we, as Africans, Indians, Aboriginal women, all persons of color, supposed to create when we are limited? We are forced to look elsewhere for that one foundation shade, that one shade of powder and that one concealer shade that suits our beautiful skin tone,” she wrote.
L’Oréal Australia has responded to Joseph, revealing that the company is set to expand its color ranges for several brands. “Our brands NYX Professional Makeup, Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris are all committed to broadening their foundation shade rages to cater for every woman’s need,” said Christine Burke, Director of Communications. Lancôme will also launch all 40 shades of its popular foundation range on the Australian market this fall.
Joseph has since updated her Instagram account with the results of a trial of NYX’s Total Control Drop Foundation in shade Mocha (19), which is now available to buy on Priceline’s e-commerce site. “You don’t know how ecstatic I am. I could scream,’ she wrote on her social media page.